Hidden Wounds

PART 12

"Why do you keep popping up everywhere I'm at?" I folded my arms, irritated.

"Great minds think alike." He replied and smiled.

It had been six out of the fourteen days that Anthony had been gone and although he was still calling me every hour I was allowed to leave the house. Every single time I went somewhere, I ran into the sheriff and initially I was pissed. When I went to grab some tea from Starbucks he was in line ordering a black coffee. When I ran to the grocery store, he was walking out at the same time I was walking in. I seen him twice at the car wash and then I started to get worried.  It wasn't a coincidence anymore. He hadn't said a word to me, but I knew he was following me. I didn't want to tell Anthony because his delusional ass would think the worse. Today was my sixth time running into him and I wanted answers.

"Fuck that, are you following me?"

"Lina, lower your voice. We're in public, it just so happens to be at the same time."

"Nigga you're the police, you been watching me. This ain't a coincidence." I snapped.  I was at a fuckin' Baskin Robbins around the corner from my house.

"OK..." he sighed, putting his hand in his pockets, "I have been following you-"

"What the fuck you-" I started, but he put his hand in my face to cut me off.

"JUST to make sure you're OK Lina. Look, the first time I met you in the hospital I knew something wasn't right with your story. Then at the restaurant, I hadn't thought of you in months until then. I remembered how bad you looked, beat up and bloody in that hospital bed. Then I seen the episode with you and ol' dude in the car and I knew. You hadn't been robbed."

"Why is that any of your damn business?" I reached over the counter to get my bag as I waited for an answer.

"It's not really, I just want to make sure you are OK. Domestic violence is a serious thing."

"Well I wouldn't know. I don't have that problem. Now stop fucking following me weirdo." I snapped and stomped out of the ice cream shop. 

"Lina, Lina. Wait." Gray followed me out the door.

"You need to leave me alone OK? Before I call your precinct."

"Alright. I'll stop following you, but will you at least take my number down?" he asked

"For what?" I wanted to walk away, but I was flattered at how interested he was in me. I'm sure he'd seen plenty of cases like mine, why was he so determined to help me?

"Just in case you need me, you don't have to use it ever; but I want you to know you have somebody out here other than his ass. You don't need to feel like you're alone." Gray was staring at me so intensely that I had to look away, I felt his words in my spirit and for some reason I believed what he was saying.

"Fine, what's the number?" I asked, pretending to still be uninterested and unlocking my iPhone.

"555-6756." He recited, and I typed it into my keypad.

"Can I go now?" I questioned him playfully and he smiled, his teeth were incredibly perfect. He was actually fine as hell, smooth chocolate skin with the bald head and Colgate smile; definitely something to look at.

"Call me if you need me, I mean it Lina. I don't care what time it is."

"Alright officer." I replied before walking away back towards my home.  

I wasn't all the way mad at officer Gray but I needed him to stay away from me for his and my safety. Half of me wanted to know why he was so interested in my safety when there were plenty D.V. cases in the south, but unless I wanted Anthony to go upside my head the nigga needed to keep his distance. 

I was pushing my key into the lock when the front door swung open, scaring the shit out of me, it was Anthony. He damn near snatched me in the house

"Where were you?" he asked

"Baskin Robbins." I told him, raising my bag up to prove my point. I watch his shoulders drop slightly; he closed the door and locked it. "Did you call me?" I reached for my phone to check, I knew I had my ringer on.

"No, I just got back about ten minutes ago, your car was here but you weren't. I got worried."

"I bet." I rolled my eyes "How was Jamaica? You're back early."

"I was able to seal the deal faster than expected." He replied and I almost laughed in his face. I couldn't believe he was still playing like he was with clients, but if he wanted me to act dumb then that's what the fuck I was gonna do.

"Well that's good then right?"

"I told you if I got it we would be rich. That's why I came home so fast, to tell you the good news; but you weren't here." He pointed out

"Sorry, it was just bad timing. Congratulations though." I tried to get him to wrap up the conversation, I wanted to make sure I had saved Gray's number under my mother's name.

"Damn that's all a nigga gets? Did you hear me? We are rich Lina, you think the way we live now is lavish just wait a couple of months." He boasted and smiled at me. Anthony walked up to me and kissed me on my mouth in his excitement. It had been a while since our lips touched, but it didn't give me chills. He reached down and hugged me tightly.

"Anthony. I'm really happy for you I just need to put this ice cream cake in the fridge." I told him, keeping my arms at my side. His affection was foreign to me and I wasn't even interested in receiving it. He let me go slowly and I watched the smile fade from his face.

"Oh, I guess that is important huh?" he asked sarcastically and walked out the room. I blew my breath out and made my way to the kitchen; after I had placed my cake in the freezer I unlocked my phone. Gray's seven numbers were still displayed on my screen. I quietly saved the contact under Mother and locked my phone back.

"Who you texting?" I heard Anthony's voice and I damn near jumped out of my skin. I thought he had went upstairs!

"N-no one, I was thinking about dialing out my mom but shit it's no point." I lied as fast as I could, I didn't want him to take my phone away from me too.

"Sho' ain't, you see she hasn't been around. I'm the only mutha fucka who cares about you Lina, remember  that."

"Do you care about me Anthony?"

"Man, don't start with this shit Lina, I take care of you of course I care about you."

"You also put your hands on me, isolate me, treat me mean and if that's what care and love is I don't want it." I replied, I knew I was barking up the wrong tree but half of me wanted him to just tell me to leave if I wasn't happy so that I could walk away free and live my life without watching over my shoulders.

"You step outta line, break my rules and talk back. You deserve that shit sometimes. I just won a deal that is paying me millions of dollars, you are almost done birthing our first child together; we like starting a new chapter don't try and fuck it up."

"Does this new chapter contain ass whoopings too?"

"Are you gone be a disobedient bitch? I try to tell you all the time, you control what happens to you. Blame the ass whooping on yo self." Anthony said calmly as if he were truly making sense. The man was out of his damn mind.

"I don't know where this 'logic' of yours comes from, but its bullshit. You can't beat on me when you get mad!" I raised my voice in irritation.

"Passed on from my daddy, it was how he kept my mama in line and its how I'll do it too. Eventually my mother learned how to listen and obey her man, then things got easier. I'm hoping the same will happen with you." Anthony replied with a smirk and I didn't want to believe my ears. This nigga had witnessed abuse and now wanted to inflict it upon me? How could someone who seemed so perfect be so cruel? This wasn't love, it couldn't be.